Disney On Ice is Coming!

Disney on Ice is coming to Kansas City! Will you be attending? I'll let you in on a really special secret, shhhhhh, we will. I'd love to meet some of my blogger friends if you'll be there. I just have to thank Momcentral and Disney for letting me in on this. Please let me know.Currently you can get a discount when you use the special code: MOMJust click on Disney On Ice and purchase those tickets

Host Caterpillars in a Butterfly Garden

From egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. This life-cycle of only 6-8 weeks is so fast that we are fascinated and amazed. We see the change taking place before our eyes. Butterfly habitats are endangered and we can help.

Most "butterfly garden" plans that I've seen include only the nectar plants for butterflies. To increase the butterfly population, we need to include host plants.

Have caterpillars eaten up some of your garden plants? You were probably growing a host plant and didn't know it. A host plant provides food and nourishment for the caterpillar. Different butterflies prefer different hosts. I grow bronze fennel for Black Swallowtail butterflies. My willows host Tiger Swallowtails. I grow milkweed for Monarchs.

Since the plants are meant to be eaten, I surround the host plants with other perennials to keep the garden looking good. My bronze fennel stands at the back of my butterfly garden, but I can walk behind it and count the caterpillars. I'd like to attract more butterflies to my garden.

What are some of the other host plants? The best place to start is with what butterflies will be in your area, then decide what to plant. Here are a few interesting links, but if you also search by state, or region, you may find specific information your your garden.

Monarch Watch
The Butterfly Site
Blossom Swap
Carolina Nature (North Carolina)

One of our fellow garden bloggers, Randy Emmitt, also has a butterfly site, Butterflies of the Carolinas and Virginia that provides details of the butterflies, the range, habitat and fabulous photos.

Maybe you already have host plants, maybe not. Here's my plea to all gardeners. Please add at least one more host plant to your garden this year! I know that photographing butterflies can be tricky, but caterpillars don't move very fast! Let's start to love these little critters and raise awareness by posting their cute faces on our blogs this summer and fall. Are you up for the challenge?

Story and photos by Freda Cameron

Wordless Wednesday: A Manicure/Pedicure Party

The girls and I had a Ms.Manicure & Ms.Pedicure party yesterday and boy did they have fun. Both absolutely loved their bubble bath with all the fun stuff inside it, after that we followed up with the rest of the party. By the way BalletGirl (age 8) got her part in the play she wanted. BalletGirl loved the buffing block, this was her favorite. BabyGirl liked the pumice stone.Happy WW!

It Snowed in Lees Summit

Over the weekend we were hit with a pile of snow, but before we could go anywhere the hubby had to get a workout. Just look at that driveway and once he was done he was nice enough to do the elderly couple next door.Oh and yes we did have a snowball fight, the hubby won too. Course he should've...he had the shovel. hehe.

A Girls' Pampering Day

The girls and I are going to have a "Girls' Spa Day" this afternoon. Why? A few reasons but number one is EVERY girl needs one. I mean you always hear about someone going to the spa but it costs a bit too much at the moment. But I was lucky enough to review some products by a company called, "Ms.Manicure & Ms. Pedicure."Ms.Manicure is a very cute site where everything is perfectly pink. We have

Review: Johnson's No More Tears

How many of you have heard of Johnson & Johnson? I'm sure all of you have, either you've used it yourself or know someone that has. As soon as someone becomes pregnant they begin stocking up on all the Baby Johnson & Johnson stuff, everyone brings them this type of stuff for shower gifts, etc. I mean who can resist the smell of a baby straight out of a Johnson & Johnson bath? The smell is

Snowfall Before Spring

The world is gray today and I long for the green of spring and summer. I shouldn't complain. I remember a snow, 29 years ago, that was much worse than today's weather. Today, the snow is only 2 inches deep. That year, it was 20 inches deep!

The year was 1980, a leap year. On February 29, one of my Arabian mares gave birth to a little filly that I named Pamlico. Pamlico was born outside in a grassy paddock on a sunny, 75° day. For the next two days, March 1-2, 1980, the snowstorm hit. I've always referred to that snowstorm as the Pamlico blizzard. I trudged through the snow every hour to check on little Pamlico.

I no longer have horses or any other outdoor livestock to tend. Our gardening greyhound, Charm, loves to run in the snow -- it obviously brings out the puppy in her. Greyhounds don't have enough fur or fat to keep them warm, so Charm has to wear a fleece coat. I don't have a photo because Charm runs so fast (40 mph) that I couldn't capture the moment!

My husband gave the birds a lot of extra seeds this morning so that they don't all have to wait in line for a turn at the feeders. He piled seeds on top of an outdoor table and on one of the stone corners of the cottage garden fence. The Juncos and Cardinals can't believe their good fortune!

As for me, I'll go back inside to the comforts of the house. There really isn't a good place to sit outside today. Without the sun, the snow photos appear to be black and white. The only color is from the birds.

Within just a few days, this snow will be gone. There will be sunshine and warm temperatures again. The garden will be nourished from this quick snowfall. There's no need to worry. Spring is just around the corner -- really, it is!


Story and photos by Freda Cameron